Tectonic events such as a 5.8 earthquake in California and a volcano eruption in Washington – riveted our attention. But they failed to match the New Madrid Quakes of Dec. 1811-Feb. 1812 that caused the mighty Mississippi River briefly to flow backward.

Consider the eyewitness deposition of Firmin La Roche, a French fur trader of St. Louis.

The frontier west of the Mississippi had been sold by France to the United States just eight years before the quake. Missouri was a territory, not yet a state.

LaRoche’s account – preserved in the Missouri Historical Review archives — was written in New Orleans Feb. 20, 1812, when after-shocks were still frequent. He had just completed a disastrous journey that started with three flat-boats:

Sound Like Thunder

“I was present at the earthquake which lately occurred above and below the mouth of the River Ohio, along both shores of the River Mississippi.

“I was taking three boats to New Orleans with some furs bought in St. Louis. On the evening of Dec. 15, we tied up eight miles north of New Madrid near the house of my cousin, John LeClerq.

“There were with me the Fr. Joseph of the Mission to the Osages, returning home to France — also Jaques Menier, Dominic Berges, Leon Sarpy, Henry Lamel, five other men and the Negro slave, Ben, who was killed at New Madrid.

“After we had supper, we went to sleep. I was awakened by a crash like thunder. The boat turned upon its side so that Lamel, who slept beside, was thrown on me. We fell against the side. It was very dark.

“We got away from the bank in about a half hour, and I looked at my watch. It was 3 o’clock. I could see trees on the shore falling down. Great masses of earth tumbled into the river.

“Lamel cut the rope that tied us to a log. In a moment, so great a wave come up the river that I never seen one like it at sea. It carried us back north, up-stream, for more than a mile. The water spread out upon the banks — covering three or four miles inland.

“It was a current going backward. Then this wave stopped, and slowly the river went right again.

“Everywhere there was noise like thunder. The ground was shaking the trees down. The air was thick with something like smoke. There was much lightning.

“We believed we must surely die. Fr. Joseph gave absolution. We did not see either of the other two boats. One of them we never saw again – nor do I know whether the men in them were drowned. We were all in great terror, expecting death.

“Trees were thrown down. People said great cracks in the soil – some very deep – stretched 10 or 15 miles. “We were told there is a new lake in Tennessee (Reelfoot) and the water courses there have been changed. The River Yazoo has a new mouth.

“I was in great pain with a broken arm. Of those who were with me, there is not but Father Joseph. My personal loss I make to be $600 (about $12,000 by today’s currency.)”

A Priest’s Recollection

In an appendage to La Rouche’s account, Father Joseph stated:

“I think there were two great shocks about half an hour apart and many small ones between and after. The water rose so that a tree on the bank — whose top must have been 30 feet above the river level — was covered all over.

“We saw two houses on fire on the left bank. When we came to New Madrid, there were homes also burning there.

“We tied up to the shore about dawn, and a hickory tree fell upon the boat – killing the negro, Ben, and breaking the left arm of the patron LaRouche.

“We made no effort to find out how many people had been killed, although it was told us that many were. We saw dead bodies of several. Afterwards we saw drowned persons floating in the river.

“The fur loads were thrown into the river by the people who crowded into the vessel with us until we could take no more.”

Another Account

Another eyewitness account (edited here for brevity) was deposed by Eliza Bryan, a New Madrid resident, four years after the event.

“On December 16, 1811, about 2 a.m., we were visited by a violent shock of an earthquake. It was accompanied by a very awful noise resembling loud but distant thunder, but more hoarse and vibration.

“This was followed in a few minutes by the complete saturation of the atmosphere with sulphurous vapor, causing total darkness.

“Truly horrible was the screams of the affrighted inhabitants running to and fro, not knowing where to go, of what to do – the cries of the fowls and beasts of every species – the cracking of trees falling — and the roaring of the Mississippi which was retrograde for a few minutes.

“Inhabitants fled in every direction, supposing that there was less danger at a distance than near the river.

“There were several, lighter shocks daily until the 23rd of January 1812. Then, one occurred as violent as the severest of the former ones.

“From this time until the 4th of February, the earth was in continual agitation – visibly waving as a gentle sea.

“On Feb. 7, about 4 a.m., a concussion took place so much more violent than those that had proceeded it, that it was denominated ‘the hard shock.’

“The awful darkness of the atmosphere saturated with sulphurous vapor, and the violence of the tempestuous thundering noise, formed a scene beyond imagination.

“At first, the Mississippi seemed to recede from its banks – its waters gathering up like a mountain. For a moment, many boats which were on their way to New Orleans were left on bare sand. The poor sailors made their escape from them.

“The river then rose 15 to 20 feet perpendicularly, and expanded. The banks overflowed with the retrograde current. Boats that had been left on sand now were torn from their moorings.

“The river falling as rapidly as it had risen, took with it whole groves of cottonwood trees. A great many fish were left on the banks.

“In all the hard shocks, the earth was horribly torn to pieces. Hundreds of acres were covered over by sand that issued from the fissures. In some places, there was a substance resembling coal.

“Lately it has been discovered that a lake (Reelfoot) was formed on the opposite side of the Mississippi in Indian country ( west Tennessee). It is upward of 100 miles in length, one to six miles wide, and depths of 10 to 50 feet.

“For eighteen months, we were constrained by the fear that our houses would fall from the continuing shocks and so lived in little, light camps. Some people fled, never to return, but most drifted back.”

Giant Earth Fault

The U.S. Geological Survey rates the three main quakes in the central Mississippi valley in the winter of 1811-12 as “the most powerful in U.S. history.”

There were no seismographs back then. However, the extent of land changes indicate three, closely related, quakes — magnitudes of 8 or more on the Richter seismograph scale of ten-fold points.

Most powerful quake of record is the Richter 8.4 for the Alaska quake of 1964.

USGS says, “Earthquakes in the central United States affect much larger areas than earthquakes of similar magnitude in the western U.S.

“The San Francisco, Calif., earthquake of 1906 (magnitude 7.8) was felt 350 miles away. The first New Madrid earthquake rang church bells in Boston, Mass., a thousand miles away.”

New Madrid in 1811 consisted of 400 log cabins. St. Louis and Memphis were small towns. “Should a category-8 quake occur there today, those cities would be mostly destroyed and thousands of people killed,” says U.S.G.S.

Last year, 470 measurable quakes were recorded in the Central Mississippi valley.

Warning by USGS: “The probability of a magnitude 6 to 7 earthquake occurring in the New Madrid seismic zone within the next 50 years is higher than 90 percent.”

There are a total of eight swing dance clubs located in and around the St. Louis area (including M.U.S.I.C. in Collinsville, Illinois) that are members of the Midwest Swing Dance Federation, and all of these clubs are descended from the St. Louis Imperial Dance Club that was founded in 1973. The largest of these sister clubs, the West County Swing Dance Club, has the distinction of being one of the largest swing clubs in the United States with an active membership that totals more than a thousand dancers.

Imperial Swing got its name from the Club Imperial located at Goodfellow Boulevard and West Florissant Avenue. The building, originally called Imperial Hall, was built in 1928 as a dance hall, bowling alley and restaurant/bar complex. In the 1930s and 1940s, it was the dance spot of Northwest St. Louis, just as Arcadia (later called Tune Town), the Admiral Showboat in Midtown, and the Casa Loma on the Southside, were the most popular dance halls in their respective areas. In 1952, George Edick Enterprises purchased Imperial Hall and George Edick renamed it the Club Imperial. During the early part of that decade, he operated the club as a ballroom with the theme of “a nice place for nice people.” He played “big band” music and catered primarily to private parties. He was able to regularly book guest appearances with popular performers like Stan Kenton and Louis Prima because Robert Hyland, of CBS and KMOX radio, broadcast his weekly “Coast To Coast with Bob Hyland” program from the Imperial Ballroom.

During the late 1950s and early 1960s, Edick realized that the country’s taste in music had shifted to “Rock ‘n Roll” and he used his advertising-public relations firm, to aggressively promote the Club Imperial on KWK, KXOK, WIL and WGNU. The Joe Bozzi Quintet, Jimmie (Night Train) Forrest, Chuck Berry, Dolly Parton, the Monkeys, Glen Campbell, Ike and Tina Turner and a small vocal group now called the “Fifth Dimension” are among the many artists who began their careers at his club. He promoted a “Jitterbug” contest where a couple from the Club Imperial (Teddy Cole and Kathy Burke) won the National Jitterbug Championship. During the “Rock ‘n Roll” craze, Edick held Tuesday “Teen Night” dances, and it was during these weekly dances that a jitterbug variation that became known as the “Imperial Style” of St. Louis swing was born. As the 60s progressed, music trends were changing again. The ‘roll’ started dropping out of “Rock ‘n Roll,” the ‘rock’ got harder, and the teenagers increasingly attended loud, psychedelic music concerts. Because the freak-out beats of their acid rock music was almost impossible to dance to, Edick gradually discontinued all public dances at his club.

In the 1970s, George Edick wanted to reintroduce more listenable and danceable music at Club Imperial and he found that hosting swing contests was just the ticket! He got together with Teddy Cole, the Jitterbug champion who was also a dance promoter in his own right, and they decided to sponsor a yearly St. Louis Jitterbug Contest “Imperial Style” to pick a “City Champion.” These widely publicized contests prompted many of the older, experienced dancers to come around the club again, and Edick sponsored a number of “Salute Dances” to introduce these old timers to the newer dancers. As more and more people began learning the Imperial, they began organizing into small dance groups that met in apartment complexes around the St. Louis area, and George Edick kept in touch with many of their leaders.

In 1973 Al Morris conceived the idea of forming a club, and it was his group that first met at the San Miguel apartments in St. Charles which became the St. Louis Imperial Dance Club. The founders are: Dave Cheshire, Jan Cheshire, Rick McQueen, Joan Fritz, Debbie Dustman (Wheelis) and Veronica Lynch. The new club alternated their dances between Lynch’s apartment complex in South County and the Wood Hollow apartments in West County. Edick contacted the Board and he told them that he was very interested in helping their club to fulfill their mission to keep swing dancing alive. The great promoter convinced them, with a persuasive new adaptation of his original 1950s theme, that their growing club should hold their future dances at his Club Imperial ballroom because it’s “a nice place for nice people who like to swing dance!”

Good mottos never die but unfortunately people do, and on June 11, 2002 George Edick passed away. The building is silent now but it stands, not only as a landmark where Imperial Swing all began, but also as a tribute to a man who, over his colorful, eighty-six-year lifetime, was able to convert his dreams into reality . . . not a bad epitaph!

Whether you have to go for business or personal reasons, you should be able to find cheap hotels in Kansas City. It's located right on the western border of Missouri, right next to Kansas. There are so many fun things to do, like spending time at the park, visiting specialty museums, sightseeing, etc. Head to the historic 18th and Vine Jazz District to enjoy live music. At the Country Club Plaza you can go on a fun shopping spree. There are a number of festivals and parades held each year.

While prices for hotel rooms vary depending on the day of the week and time of year, Kansas City offers to have inexpensive hotels in general. The rate never goes up particularly high. There are literally over 30,000 rooms to choose from in this city and surrounding areas. Hotels are located in convenient locations, like downtown, near major attractions and the airport.

You can stay at one of the budget chain hotels if you wish. If you want to stay near Worlds of Fun, there is a Red Roof Inn and Ramada Kansas nearby. A Super 8, Wyndham Kansas, and Microtel Inn are located right by the airport. Overland Park is a popular area in KC, with hotels like Sheraton, Hyatt, Marriott, Hawthorn Suites, and Cloverleaf Suites nearby. There are some nice bed and breakfasts and inns in and around Excelsior Springs, which is located around 25 miles NE of central Kansas City. If you visit during a busy time and can not find cheap hotels right in the city itself, just look in surrounding neighborhoods.

Visiting someone at the University of Central Missouri? There are over 40 hotels to choose from in Kansas City's east side. It's also the oldest section of the city, so you might want to look out historic landmarks.

Where to Get Deals for Cheap Hotels in Kansas City

The luxury four-star hotels are a lot more affordable in KC than in most other cities. You can not easily get a good deal on a room or suite at the Hotel Indigo or the InterContinental at The Plaza.

A lot of the fun activities and entertainment are free, so you can get away with splurging on a hotel. Many of the cheap hotels in Kansas City are within walking distance of many free attractions, like Westport, outdoor art, free brewery tours, etc. If you're staying downtown, just hop on the street car and get a free ride from one end to the other. Several of the hotels offer free airport shuttles as well. If you book in a neighborhood outside of the city, consider bundling your rental car reservation with the hotel booking and airfare to save additional money.

Where can you find all the great deals on cheap hotels in Kansas City ? Just plan your trip online and you will have access to all the tools you need for creating an affordable itinerary. You might also want to look into online coupons, many of which can be used through travel apps.

For many, Route 66 is in their blood – they grow up on the old highway, traveled the road with their parents when they were kids, or, sometimes, even pumped gas at one of those vintage filling stations that actually knew what the term " customer service "mean.

For others, they are nostalgic like me – "old souls," some say. And, if it's history, it's interesting !!! What the Santa Fe Trail is to us today, Route 66 will be our future generations, and it's heritage and history can no more be forgotten than those of the wagon train pioneers. Yes, it was another era, but still, a giant step in the progress of a nation.

So, people say to me all the time, "I just do not get it." Well, if you travel this vintage pavement, I can guarantee that you will. Along this historical path, that generally follows an even older one – that of the railroads as they expanded westward, there is history that dates back far beyond the asphalt of the Mother Road. It's not just about an old highway – it is so much more – an evolution from historic trails such as the National Old Trails highway that traversed much of the same road in New Mexico, Arizona and California; or the Trail of Tears that converges with Route 66 in Missouri and Oklahoma.

Along this vintage road, you will not only find the "good ole 'days" that you may remember, but also a depth of history that perhaps you can only imagine. From Civil War sites in Missouri and Oklahoma, to outlaws in Texas and New Mexico, to the numerous gold mining camps of Arizona, the sights along this old highway are incredible.

If you long for the good ole 'days with the buttery smell of popcorn at the drive in theater or a greasy burger at the local diner, you will have plenty of opportunities at places like the Cozy Dog Drive-In in Springfield, Illinois; Wrink's Market and the Munger Moss Motel in Lebanon, Missouri; or the Snow Cap Drive-In in Seligman, Arizona. If your memory revives the days of Stuckey's, Steak 'N' Shakes, and Burma-Shave signs, you'll be happy to know that these Route 66 icons are on their way back!

If it's an older part of the west that you're looking for, you'll find that too. Holbrook, Arizona was once said to have been "too tough for women or churches;" Tucumcari was once referred to as "Six-Shooter Siding," and Galena, Kansas was the site of much bloodshed during its coal mining days.

Even though several interstates have virtually replaced the old highway, almost 85% of it can still be transported. Along the way, you will encounter the remnants of ghost towns killed by the super highways that replaced Route 66. Some of these are a ghost towner's dream, such as Glenrio, Texas; Cuervo, New Mexico; and a long stretch of ghost towns as you enter California's Mojave Desert.

Along this historical road, numerous lakes, state and national parks, and historical sites are abundant. Take your time, as, all along the old Mother Road, there is something for everyone.

Although the West Coast and Alaska generally has the greatest earthquake activity, the potential for earthquakes exist almost everywhere in the United States. Active areas in the Midwest include: 1) The New Madrid Seismic Zone in southeastern Missouri which has the potential to impact eight states: Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee; and 2) The Wabash Valley Seismic Zone along Illinois-Indiana border that would impact three states: Illinois, Indiana, and Kentucky. In Eastern United States, another active region is the Charleston area in South Carolina.

Earthquake Prediction in California and the Midwest

California has 99.7% probability of having a moment magnitude Mw = 6.7 earthquake (same as Northridge event) during the next 30 years. The southern segment of San Andreas Fault has the highest probability of generating such an earthquake in Southern California with a 67% chance of striking Los Angeles Area, while Hayward Fault is the most likely earthquake source in Northern California with a 63% chance of striking San Francisco Bay Area. Larger earthquakes are less likely during the same time frame; 94%, 46% and 4.5% for Mw = 7.0, 7.5, and 8.0, respectively. On the other hand, the probability of a New Madrid earthquake of Mw = 6.0 or greater occurring in the next 50 years is 25-40%, while a repeat of the 1811-1812 earthquakes of Mw = 7.7 is 7-10% according to the United States Geological Survey. However, most structures in the Midwest were not built to withstand earthquake shaking. Moreover, earthquake awareness and preparedness in the Midwest have lagged far behind as compared to the West Coast.

What if your Home is Destroyed or Partially Damaged?

Many people wrongly believe that the United States Government will take care of all their financial needs if they suffer losses in an earthquake which is not true. In fact, the federal disaster relief programs are designed to help you get partly back on your feet but not to replace everything you lose. In the meantime, homeowners insurance does not cover earthquake damage to your home and possessions. Therefore, most of the property damage caused by an earthquake will end up being handled and paid for by you. In addition, you are still responsible for your existing debts such as mortgage, auto loans, and credit card payments even if your home is destroyed or partially damaged.

How to Protect your Assets and Investments?

If you own your home, it is probably your biggest financial asset. You have worked hard to secure your piece of the American Dream to become a homeowner. Your assets and investments made in personal belongings may be at risk when an earthquake strikes as your home will probably have some level of damage. How do you plan to protect these assets and investments from the costs of destructive earthquakes? Earthquake preparedness plans that include retrofitting your home and mitigating its contents are effective ways for protection against earthquake damage. Another option for managing the potential costs is to buy earthquake insurance.

Earthquake Insurance

Earthquake insurance provides coverage for ground shaking that may destroy your home, business, and personal belongings. Coverage for other kinds of damage that may result from earthquakes, such as fire and water damage due to burst gas and water pipes, is provided by standard homeowner and business insurance policies. On the other hand, cars and other vehicles are covered for earthquake damage only under the comprehensive part of the auto insurance policy. The states of California, Washington, Missouri, Tennessee, Oregon, Illinois, New York, Kentucky, Florida, and Indiana are the top 10 largest markets for earthquake insurance coverage. Earthquake insurance premiums differ widely by location, insurance company, and the construction material of your home. Older buildings cost more to insure than newer ones. Wood-frame structures benefit from lower rates than unreinforced masonry buildings as they tend to withstand earthquake forces better. A wood frame house in the Pacific Northwest costs $1-3 per $1,000 worth of coverage but less than $0.50 on the East Coast, while an unreinforced masonry home costs $3-15 per $1,000 in the Pacific Northwest but $0.60-0.90 in New York.

Do You Need Earthquake Insurance?

A wise decision on earthquake insurance is crucial if you live in an active seismic region. My family and I survived the 1995 Kobe Earthquake because I decided to live in a relatively new reinforced concrete apartment building although the rent was higher than traditional Japanese wooden houses. The three story main building stood still after the earthquake except an extension that partially collapsed, while many of the surrounding traditional houses completely collapsed. However, the apartment contents were damaged including the refrigerator, a microwave, and a large TV. The answers to the following questions may help you to decide if earthquake insurance is right for you:

Do you know the plausible earthquake hazard at your home?

How much would it cost to repair/rebuild your home?

Can you afford paying the mortgage while also paying to repair/rebuild your home?

Can you afford losing your home equity?

How much would it cost to replace your household expensive possessions (furniture, computers, HDTV’s, refrigerators, etc) if destroyed?

How much would temporary accommodations cost if you cannot live in your home after the earthquake?

Interesting Facts on Earthquake Insurance

It is surprising to know that only 12% of California residents currently have earthquake insurance coverage down from 33% in 1996 when the devastating 1994 Northridge Earthquake was still fresh in people’s minds. On the other hand, 35% of Missouri homes have earthquake insurance coverage which seems reasonable.

Concluding Remark

On January 09, 2010 the powerful Mw = 6.5 Offshore Northern California Earthquake caused moderate damage to the City of Eureka and elsewhere in Humboldt County. Few days later, on January 12, 2010, a catastrophic earthquake of magnitude 7.0 struck Haiti which is considered to be one of the deadliest quakes in the last four decades. These earthquakes are wake up calls for individuals living in active seismic regions to re-consider retrofitting their homes and mitigating their contents to protect themselves and their families; to develop, update, or maintain their own earthquake preparedness plans; and to re-consider buying earthquake insurance to manage the potential costs of future inevitable earthquakes.

The Bourbeuse River offers many species for which to fish as well as being an enjoyable float stream. It is an ideal stream for novice canoeists to get some experience. One other nice aspect of floating the Bourbeuse is that due to its extremely crooked course, put-ins and take-outs can be a couple of driving miles apart while the distance in river miles over 10.

The Bourbeuse River is ideal for float and fish excursions. It is a lazy enough river that the canoe needs little attention, allowing more fishing time.

The Bourbeuse River has good fishing for a variety of species. It’s been well known for sometime as a good smallmouth stream. Unfortunately, the smallmouth bass numbers have been somewhat diminished by the non-native spotted bass. While spotted bass are a nice game fish, they tend to out-compete smallmouth bass, at least in this particular ecosystem.

Besides spotted bass and smallmouth bass, there are decent numbers of largemouth bass and rock bass, channel catfish, and panfish. There are a few walleye that are also sometimes caught.

The Bourbeuse River runs through Union, Missouri in Franklin County, Missouri. Many of the river accesses are within 10-15 miles of this area, with one of them being right in Union. One of the nicer float is between Reikers Ford access and Mayers Landing access. This section of river has few signs of civilization along its 11 river miles, and the two accesses are only about three miles apart. The fishing is quite good for bass (smallmouth, largemouth, and spotted) as well as channel catfish. As in most sections of the river, the gradient is low so you will have a fairly leisurely float. During low water times there are a few places where you may need to get out and drag your canoe.

If you are looking for a relaxed atmosphere and decent fishing, the Bourbeuse River is certainly a good option. This stream at the northern extremity of the Ozarks Region is worth a visit.

Inspired by true events and the author's diabetic Grandmother, Christmas Turtles is a 32-page festival hardcover book that was released in October 2006. The winter cabin scene on the protective slipcover is identical to the art on the hardcover. Perfectly complementing the winter scenery, the book opens to dark green pages – reminiscent of evergreen mountain forests.

Sara Ann Denson has been a published author since the age of 18. This accomplished and active woman has won awards for her work as a script and play writer, and has also enjoyed life as a free-lance writer. She resides in Missouri, USA along with her husband and their two sons.

Illustrations by Tara McMillen, a former city engineer, are reminiscent of crayon drawings and bring pleasant feelings from the past of cuddling on the floor with a favorite coloring book. This artist is known for the large number of murals she was commissioned to do around Kansas City, Missouri, where the artist, her two children and husband stay.

Christmas Turtles is a story of one family's holiday tradition. Pecan trees are planted on the family farm at the birth of each grandchild, of which there are four. Lovely scenery and descriptions of fall harvests and wheat planting welcome the reader closer to the farming life. During the harvest season, the Magic Christmas Tin, well worn from use, is brought out from its special place. Then the four grandsons, Jeanna, Matthew, Talia and Sara Ann, sit with their grandma on the porch to crack pecans. They worked until the box was filled and then carefully, respectfully, placed the box in its special place. At Christmas, the box is magically filled with Christmas Turtles, a yummy chocolate treat for the whole family.

One year, the grandchildren arrive earlier than usual and discover their grandmother making Christmas Turtles from the pecans they harvested and shelled. The process was fascinating for them and they could hardly wait to touch the trips.

When Sara Ann discovered Grandma could not eat the treats, she realized just how much her Grandmother loved them all. She endured painful hands, back spasms and throbbing feet – just to see them all enjoy the family tradition of Christmas Turtles.

Christmas Turtles is a soft, enjoyable view into a warm family tradition. The book comes with a recipe for families to make their very own Christmas Turtles at home.

Finding cheaper Missouri auto insurance can be difficult if you do not know where to look. If you find you are spending a lot of money on insurance every year and want to change that, then this article will inform you on how you can find cheaper auto coverage when living in Missouri.

The key to finding cheaper coverage anywhere is comparing the different companies to the different policies. If you prefer to work with a local company then a suggestion of making a list of providers and seeing each individual one about your auto insurance may be the way to go. This will give you an idea of what your local town or city is offering, and by getting quotes you can easily compare them to help you find a cheaper alternative.

If you are a person who likes to take everything into consideration, then there are many online companies that specialize in this type of coverage. Online companies can be a valuable asset if you can find a suitable one. When browsing on the internet, it is easy to compare each company to see which one is providing a better offer.

When dealing with online companies be sure to check them for contact details, quick responses, professionalism and anything else you may think of. You do not want to go into a company where you cannot contact them if you have an accident. So weigh everything up so you can get the most from your money.

There are many different things that can contribute to you having higher or lower policies. Some of these things include, your driving history, your ages and how long you have been driving, what brand of car you drive and is it built for speed? These and more contribute to you having a change in your policies each year. If you have had a crash or accident then your policy will increase. So by driving carefully, it will help keep your coverage down over the years to come.

Cheaper Missouri auto coverage is not that hard to find. All you have to do is spend the time to compare and analyse each company you are interested in to see if they have the policy that suits you. Take note to check every six to twelve months for new updates on companies, so you can keep yours down to a minimum. No one likes high insurance but with the right knowledge you can easily change that.

As we go through life our needs change. A Young man or women with a family has very different insurance needs then the Empty Nester. Here is a guide to help you determine what type of insurance best matches your need based on the 4 Stages of life

Stage 1

While traveling the great state of Missouri one of the biggest objections I hear is why do I need life insurance. I’m young, single and healthy. That is the best time to buy life insurance. The younger you are and the healthier you are the cheaper life insurance is.

When you are still young and single you may not really need life insurance but that is the best time to buy it. A small whole life policy of 50,000 or maybe 100,000 is really is good investment for a young person. As long as you keep this policy in force no matter how old you get. No matter what happens to your health you will always have insurance.

Stage 2

You get married buy your first house and have a few children. At this point in your life you need enough insurance to pay off the mortgage if something happens to you and of course you would want to make sure there is enough money for your young growing family . Don’t forget those college expenses A Term Policy or universal life policy are what you should be looking into during this stage.

Stage 3

A friend of mine says life begins when the dog dies and the kids graduate college. Your Home is paid off or nearly paid off. Your children are all on their on and no longer count on you for support. Your concern now is to have enough money for retirement. Your Life insurance needs aren’t that great that 50,000 Life policy you got when you were in stage 1 might be all you need. Annuities, Universal Life and long term care are areas of insurance to look into during this pahse of your life.

Stage 4

The Golden Years. You want to make sure you don’t outlive your retirement savings. You also want to protect the assets you have. Annuities and Long Term Care and Medicare Supplement would be your 3 main areas of concern during this satge of your life.

In looking at last week’s AP Top 25 Poll I think we can now identify 17 of the Top 25 teams that are no longer relevant in the chase for the BCS national championship game. All of them have 2 or more losses. They are:

The latest casualties in a season of upsets and attrition were the No. 2-ranked Oregon Ducks and No. 3-ranked Oklahoma Sooners.

The Ducks not only picked up their second loss at Arizona, 34-24, but also lost their Heisman Trophy candidate and superstar quarterback Dennis Dixon in the 1st quarter to a torn ACL in his left knee. Dixon was the Oregon offense and without him it showed.

The Sooners picked up their second loss at Texas Tech, 34-27, leaving them on the outside looking in at the BCS title game. Like Oregon, the Sooners lost their quarterback Sam Bradford in the 1st quarter with an apparent concussion.

Eight teams now become harder to ignore. They are Louisiana State, Kansas, West Virginia, Missouri, Ohio State, Arizona State, Hawaii and Boise State. All have only 1 loss except Kansas and Hawaii which remain unbeaten.

All remain in the hunt because they continue to win as the season winds down or they were idle this week, like No. 9-ranked Arizona State (9-1).

No. 1-ranked Louisiana State (10-1) used a 98-yard kickoff return and forced two turnovers during goal-line stands to hold off Mississippi 41-24. Mississippi is now 0-7 in the SEC.

No. 4-ranked Kansas (11-0) hosted Iowa State and made the Cyclones look like an easy breeze by winning 45-7.

No. 5- West Virginia (9-1) traveled to No. 21-ranked Cincinnati and handed the Bearcats their 3rd loss, 28-23, setting up a showdown this week with No. 25-ranked Connecticut (9-2) for the Big East title and a BCS bowl-game berth.

Connecticut gets my nomination as the 9-2 team with the least press and notice this season. The Huskies have quietly and efficiently beaten South Florida, Rutgers and Cincinnati, all of whom have been ranked and received much more notice. At one point in the season South Florida was ranked 2nd, Rugters10th and Cincinnati 15th.

No. 6-ranked Missouri (10-1) traveled to Kansas State and beat the Wildcats 49-32. Missouri freshman Jeremy Maclin (he has speed) set an NCAA single-season freshman record in the game with 252 all purpose yards, returning a kickoff 99 yards for a score and catching 2 TD passes, giving him a record 2,201 all-purpose yards so far.

This week No. 6 Missouri travels to No. 4 Kansas for a Big 12 showdown of horrendous proportions. Kansas is 7-0 and Missouri is 6-1 in the Big 12 North Division.

No. 7-ranked Ohio State (11-1) followed its upset loss to Illinois last week with a 14-3 victory over No. 23-ranked Michigan to capture the Big 10 championship. Ohio State’s regular season is now over; the Buckeyes will sit and wait and see what their fate is in the BCS chase. Look for them in the Rose Bowl at worst.

Jim Tressel became the first Ohio State coach to beat Michigan 6 times in 7 years. His Buckeyes captured their first consecutive outright Big 10 titles in 50 years.

No. 13-ranked Hawaii (10-0) traveled to Nevada and was lucky to get out alive with a 28-26 victory. The Warriors led at the half 19-10 but were outscored by the Wolfpack 16-9 in the second half.

Hawaii beat San Jose State 42-35 in overtime and Fresno State 37-30 earlier this year. The Warriors, who score a lot of points (45+), get their first real test of the season this week when they host No. 17-ranked Boise State. A win by either Hawaii or Boise State could vault them into a BCS bowl-game, especially if any team in front of them loses again.

Boise State warmed up for Hawaii by destroying Idaho 58-14. The Broncos win was no big deal either as Idaho is 1-10 on the season and beyond anemic.

So there you have it, the mighty 6-LSU, Kansas, West Virginia, Missouri, Ohio State and Arizona State-and the not so mighty 2-Hawaii and Boise State.

There is a guaranteed lockdown that 2 of the 8 teams involved in the BCS title hunt are going to lose this week as Kansas and Missouri clash in one showdown and Hawaii and Boise State in another. That should help lift the fog the following morning.